


It's Not Average

by Nyhne



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Eduard is a nerd, Erik is a volcanologist, Fluff, M/M, Mathias drops out of college, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 12:10:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5333633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyhne/pseuds/Nyhne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years of high school and two years of university, and the closest thing he’d ever gotten to a relationship was his best friend and future volcanologist Erik commenting, while slightly buzzed, that he thought his mannerisms were ‘cute in a nerdy way’. College/Coffee Shop AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Average

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in 2013 for a rare-pair secret santa on Tumblr.   
> Mathias (Denmark); Erik (Iceland)

“Is your name Wi-Fi? Because I’m really feeling a connection.”  
  
“Excuse me?” Eduard blinks, looking up from his wallet with a baffled look. The barista behind the counter is winking at him with blond flyaway hair and the biggest grin Eduard has ever seen plastered to his face like a toothpaste commercial. He looks ridiculous.  
  
The blond tries smiling again, brighter, but then stops when Eduard doesn’t reply, a puzzled look on his face. “Huh,” the man- his nametag reads ‘Mathias’- says, scratching his head. “I thought for sure that would work.”  
  
Eduard just feels lost, his hand still halfway in his wallet from when he’d been digging to find another one. “Er…sorry?” he offers, remembers, and hands the man a creased dollar bill. He’s ignored, as Mathias is seemingly held up on figuring his predicament out. There’s no line behind him and Eduard shifts uncomfortably, trying to offer the bill again. “Here,” he adds.   
  
“What? Oh, right. Heh, sorry I- oh, hey! What if I paid for your drink?” the man brightens considerably, inflating another grin.  
  
Eduard is just as baffled as before, if not more. “What?” he asks. “Why?”  
  
Mathias doesn’t seem bothered by Eduard’s confusion. He gives an easy shrug and slings his towel over his shoulder. “Well you know, the whole ‘is your name Wi-Fi’ thing didn’t work out, so it’s Plan B. C’mon- any size,” he persists, already digging out his own wallet.   
  
The dots finally connect in Eduard’s mind and he marvels at the fact that for someone working to double major in Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mathematics, he could be awfully dense. “Wait,” he interjects, overwhelmed. “Was that a pick up line?”  
  
“Caught me,” the barista grins, holding up his hands. “Is that a yes on the coffee, then?”  
  
“Have I even met you before?” Eduard frowns. He pushes up his glasses in the hope of hiding the blush growing over his cheeks, though his ears are equally red.   
  
  
“Uh, kind of,” Mathias says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He gestures to the line of drink machines behind the counter. “Usually I’m behind the machines when you’re here, but today it’s just me.”  
  
“Oh,” Eduard blinks. He feels a little sheepish for not recognizing the blond sooner. Double-majoring genius, huh?  
  
“Yup,” Mathias bobs his head. “Hey, my shift is over in literally three minutes. Let me get you that drink then?” he pulls a cheeky smile.   
  
Eduard thinks that were his tongue out, the blond would have looked like some kind of ridiculous, blue-eyed puppy. In spite of himself, Eduard feels his head nod and Mathias positively beams.   
  
Another customer has finally rolled in behind him so Eduard steps out of the way and goes back to his table strewn with complex-looking schematics and long-running equations, feeling a little dazed. Three years of high school and two years of university and the closest thing he’d ever gotten to a relationship was his best friend and future-volcanologist Erik commenting, while slightly buzzed, that he thought his mannerisms were ‘cute in a nerdy way’. And now here he had….Well, he wouldn’t exactly call it a _date_ , but it was obviously something, and that’s what puzzled Eduard most of all, because within their short conversation, Mathias had sounded genuine.  Like this wasn’t some sort of cliché ‘pick on the nerd’ prank. Still, Eduard resolved to keep himself cautious until the other’s motives were further analyzed.   
  
When Mathias approaches his table a few minutes later as promised, holding a cup in either hand and grinning from ear to ear, Eduard keeps his expression as impassive as he can make it and politely clears a spot for the other among his chaos. “Here ya go,” Mathias grunts, setting down the paper coffee cup next to him. Eduard replies “thanks” and pops off the lid, surprised to see that it was his usual order. How often had Mathias said he worked here?  
  
“Man,” Mathias says wide-eyed, leaning over the table as he examines Eduard’s schoolwork. “I knew you were some kind of smart person but I don’t even know what this stuff is. You some kinda…uh, architect or something?”  
  
Eduard pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I am studying to become an aeronautical engineer,” he corrects.  
  
“No kidding?” the other whistles. He picks up one of the model schematics and examines it, upside down. “What school you go to?”  
  
Without thinking, Eduard reaches out and corrects the paper for him, their hands meeting briefly. Mathia’s eyes flicker up and meet Eduard’s in that moment before he turns his head. He pulls away quickly and pushes his glasses up again, clearing his throat to answer hastily, “Jones University. Are you, er, in school?” he asks, feeling like a terribly awkward conversationalist.   
  
Across from him, Mathias doesn’t even seem fazed, an easy air about him. “Nah,” he says, leaning back in the seat until it’s balancing on two thin legs. “Dropped out two years ago to become a bartender and now I’m here. Life’s funny, you know?” he gives him a grin. “But you look like a smart kid. A top of the class student, right?”  
  
“Er, more or less…” he ducks his head.   
  
“Yeah, you are,” Mathias chuckles knowingly.   
  
Eduard can’t think of anything to reply but Mathias doesn’t seem to mind, letting a surprisingly-comfortable silence fall between them. The café is rather slow that day and there’s only a trickle of people going by the window, which doesn’t surprise Eduard since it looks like it’s about to rain. Eduard’s phone buzzes and his screen flashes, showing the text from Erik asking if he’d gone to the store yet.   
  
“Girlfriend?” Mathias asks innocently.  
  
Eduard almost gives him a funny look. “What? Oh, no, it’s-”  
  
“A boyfriend?” the barista asks with even less subtlety than before.   
  
Eduard should be annoyed, but he has to fight back a smile as he shakes his head. “My dorm mate. I need to stop for more microwavable waffles on my way home, apparently. Actually, I should really be going, but thanks for the drink.”  
  
“Mathias.” Eduard’s caught by surprise and he looks up from packing his back to Mathias’ outstretched hand. He blinks, but for the first time he smiles and returns the gesture.   
  
“Eduard.”


End file.
